The Carolina Panthers may have looked dead in the water in the first half of their game against an equally poor Miami Dolphins team, but the way in which Dave Canales and Bryce Young managed to squeak out a victory might be the final nail in the coffin for Mike McDaniel and this coaching staff.
Carolina's 27-24 win, which was bolstered by two fourth quarter touchdowns when it was clear that Miami's defense was going to falter, is certainly a feather in Canales' cap, but this game might have some serious ramifications for the loser due to their unsettled coaching situation.
Canales didn't even dial up the best offensive game plan in the world, and Young looked utterly overwhelmed in the first half against a very thin Miami defense, but even that wasn't enough to help a superior roster with a quarterback advantage pull out a deserved victory on the road.
With McDaniel entering his fourth season as the head coach and the Dolphins nowhere closer to making progress in their goal of a deep playoff run, losing to Young and the Panthers might be what ultimately convinces the Dolphins to bring an end to the McDaniel era.
Panthers might led to Mike McDaniel getting fired after Rico Dowdle-led comeback
McDaniel's offense seems to have turned things around, as Tagovailoa had no problem slicing up the Carolina defense. Ultimately, his defense has once again faltered due to their lack of talent and poor coaching surrounding that talent.
Carolina's rushing offense may as well have been the prime Emmitt Smith Cowboys, as Rico Dowdle topped 230 yards of total offense against a Miami defense that was in no way prepared to offer any resistance. Once again, McDaniel's defense melting against inferior opponents like Carolina has proven to be too much to stomach.
McDaniel normally starts off hot thanks to an efficient passing game, then wilts later in the season when the weather gets colder. Losing to the Panthers has now made it so that can't happen, which should expedite a firing that appeared to be coming from the second a ball was snapped.
Losing to the Panthers has often been a sign that things are looking fairly glum for any coaching staff, and this loss might be so putrid in how poor Miami looked operationally that McDaniel could end up seeing his head roll as a result. If nothing else, the firing process has been expedited.